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Scholarships

SME Education Foundation

Description
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Information
Amount: $500,000
Deadline: Scholarship application annually opens on November 1 and closes on February 1.

The SME Education Foundation annually awards millions in scholarships to high school seniors, undergraduates and post-graduate students pursuing 2-year or 4-year degrees in manufacturing or engineering.  

  • Scholarships range from $1,000 – $6,000
  • Criteria varies by scholarship.
  • Minimum GPA – 2.0/4.0
  • Must be a permanent resident or citizen of the United States or Canada.
  • Student applicant must be pursuing associate’s, bachelor’s or graduate degrees in manufacturing engineering, technology, or closely related field at an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada.
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2025-2026 Signature Event Updates

  1. An Event Partner wanting to apply to host a Signature Event must have hosted events for at least 2 seasons prior to applying. 
  2. Signature Events must use the officially branded award banners for the Excellence Award and Tournament/Teamwork Champions Award.
  3. When hanging field skirts the VEX Robotics logo/brand name can not be covered up on the competition fields.
  4. VEX V5 Robotics Competition Signature Events may have regional capacity and max per organization restrictions lifted 8 weeks before the event if the event is not full (similar to the process already in place for VEX IQ Robotics Competition Signature Events).
  5. Minimum pit size reduced to 8’x 8’ instead of 10’x10’.
  6. Beginning in the 2025-2026 season, the REC Foundation will collect $10 instead of $5 per team registration on all Signature Events. This is to help offset travel costs for REC Foundation staff to support these larger events.

2025-2026 Signature Event Application Reminders

  1. Existing Signature Events only need to complete the Final Application (due by March 31, 2025)
  2. New Signature Event concepts will need to complete the Initial Proposal by January 31, 2025 and if approved, complete the Final Application by March 31, 2025.
Crowd watches the Signature Event in Minnesota's Mall of America
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